Science

Whales Make Their Annual Migration

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There are still a few more weeks of prime whale-watching along the coast, as pods of gray whales make their annual migration from Alaska to Mexico.

At the Point Reyes lighthouse, ranger John Golda says it's common to see 20 to 40 whales per day at the peak of the migration.

"We will occasionally see them breaching, when they'll come up and splash back down onto the surface," Golda says. "But typically what we see is a spout, and then you'll see the back roll up out of the water. And they often take a series of shallower dives and then they'll be down for a deeper dive, called founding -- that's when you'll see the flukes of the tail come up out of the water."

Elephant seals are also showing up on secluded beaches in the park this time of year as they come on shore to breed. Elephant seals can grow as large as 18 feet long.